


Under Pressure Precious Things Can Break

by ErikaWilliams



Series: Mutually Pining Idiots [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chocobo Plush, Death By Vegetables, Festivals, Fireworks, Fluff, Games, Interrupted By Noct, Jacket sharing, M/M, Missed Opportunities, Misunderstandings, mutually pining idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 19:36:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14003187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErikaWilliams/pseuds/ErikaWilliams
Summary: He looked out at the city skyline, wrapping his arms tighter around himself and trying to ignore the cold wind biting at his skin.  The fireworks would be starting soon, and it would most likely be a short show.  Once it was over, he could go back to the ground, distract Gladio with one of the women at the festival, and then sneak his way home where he could curl up around his new plush and go to sleep.  Something heavy draped over his shoulders, and he stiffened under Gladio’s arm.  Once the jacket was in place though, Gladio dropped his arm back down at his side.





	Under Pressure Precious Things Can Break

In theory, this had been a good idea, the four of them going to the festival together. Noct was going to be married soon, and they wouldn’t get many more opportunities like this, just the four of them, hanging out, having a good time. They had lost Ignis first, somewhere among the food carts where he had started jotting down notes for recipes. Which he supposed he didn’t mind too much if Ignis was going to be providing them with some delicious meals on their road trip later. And Prompto was content to spend the time with Noct and Gladio. 

Then they had lost Gladio, and that one had been more surprising. He had thought Gladio would want to stay with Noct, in case there were any would be assassins hiding among the festival goers. Gladio had laughed at his concerns and told him Noct would be in good hands with Prompto around. Just like that, Gladio had walked off and started chatting up some girl at an information stand. Which left him with just Noct.

He wanted to stay with Noct, he really did. But he also wanted to keep an eye on Gladio, who kept moving from one girl to the next, chatting them up. He and Noct would be two booths over, playing one of the festival games. Well, Noct was playing, while Prompto was trying to keep an eye on Gladio. They were still developing their relationship outside of Noct’s best friend and his sworn shield. He had thought tonight, outside of a formal setting, he and Gladio might get to know each other better. Maybe do something that did not involve running, or sparring, or that one time they had gotten tattoos together. That maybe they might become good friends. That was, if Gladio wanted to be his friend. Gladio started to move away, likely to find his next target, and he took two steps after him before he remembered that Gladio had entrusted Noct to his care. When he turned around to get his friend to come with him, Noct had already left and he could not be spotted among the crowd. Well, shit.

So, on the night where he was supposed to be hanging out with his friends, he found himself alone, eating some sort of unidentifiable meat on a stick. It wasn’t all bad, though. He could do whatever he wanted now. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the festival without having to worry about someone trying to kill Noct. It was technically fate’s problem now. People around him didn’t even seem to care that the prince was there tonight. They were talking about the fireworks show coming up that evening and how great it was supposed to be. Could be worth checking out, if only his friends would have been there for them to enjoy it together.

He started making his way through the festival booths, checking out the various amusements and the prizes associated with them. There was ski ball, a floating duck pond, a place to win some tiny fish. Most of the prizes were cheap plush, ranging in size from “could fit in the palm of his hand” to “so big he would barely be able to lug one around with him.”

The plush ranged from creatures he recognized, like moogle or carbuncle, to things that didn’t make any sense like a weird brown thing with rounded ears and weird legs and arms.

Then he saw it, the most magnificent plush he had ever seen in his entire life, sitting all alone at the top of a group of inferior plush. A golden chocobo, perfectly proportioned, just the perfect size to be cuddled. As soon as he saw it, he knew he just had to have it. He stepped closer to it, forgetting about the absence of his friends for the moment. He could get it. All that time he and Noct had spent playing video games were finally going to pay off. His gaze followed the pile of plush to see what game it was attached to. Something involving chance, or maybe one of those shooting games.

He let out a low groan when he saw it was attached to the high strike. Not much he could do with that. He had never been very good at that game. The last time he had tried, he had barely managed to get it halfway up. That wasn’t going to get him that perfect chocobo. He looked longingly up at it. A lot of these places got their prizes from the same supplier. It was possible that another game might have the same prize, another game that he would have a better chance of winning. There were plenty of those around.

He set out with a purpose, looking for another one of those plush at a game that was more his speed. He must have checked every game at the festival at least twice, but he couldn’t find a single other chocobo plush. Not even a smaller one, or a poorer quality. Nothing. He supposed it just wasn’t meant to be, like so many other things. Just one of those things he would have to learn to accept. Like how his relationship with Gladio was going to be stagnant in the more than acquaintances but not quite friends ground forever.

There were other ways to entertain himself though, and he hadn’t seen the other three in over half an hour, though he had to admit he hadn’t been searching very hard. He would have been able to find Ignis easily enough if he would have gone back to the food stands. On his own though, he could amuse himself with some of the various games. Won a couple prizes with the ducks, small little trinkets that easily fit into his pockets. He played a few of the shooting games, but felt so guilty that he couldn’t accept any of the prizes. It felt like cheating. Maybe he should just text Noct, tell him he was going home. He would get the message later, since he probably wouldn’t be able to hear it over the noise. Not that he would have been able to find any of the others with that crowd. He never should have turned his back on Noct. If only because now he wouldn’t be so isolated.

Before he left, he had to grab some cotton candy. He just couldn’t go to a festival and not leave without eating some cotton candy. And there were plenty of places selling it, so he wouldn’t have to go far. He couldn’t decide between the pink or the blue, so he opted for the swirled instead. Treat in hand, he made his way over to a vacated bench and plopped down. Maybe he would stick around long enough for the fireworks. It was probably going to be a pretty amazing show. It would be even better if he had someone to share it with. Being just one in the crowd wasn’t the same thing. He plucked a piece of the cotton candy off and plopped it in his mouth, letting the sugary treat dissolve on his tongue.

“Is this seat taken?” a familiar deep voice said from beside him, causing him to nearly drop his treat. Gladio didn’t wait for an answer before dropping down on the bench next to him. Suddenly the bench seemed a whole lot smaller and his mouth grew dry, making the cotton candy stick to the roof of his mouth. Where did he even come from? Did he run out of unattached women he could be hitting on so he got bored and decided to rejoin the group? Not that there was much of a group left. Just him and his cotton candy.

And the chocobo plush that Gladio was pushing in his general direction.

“You can have this,” Gladio told him, all but dropping the plush in his lap. He caught it in the crook of his arm, not wanting to get cotton candy residue on it. Not when it was even more perfect than he initially thought, so soft for cuddling. “I know how much you like these things.” But he couldn’t accept it, not from Gladio. Not when he had probably won it for or trying to impress one of the festival girls. He didn’t want one of Gladio’s Casanova rejects, even if it was the most perfect chocobo plush ever created.

“Are you sure you don’t want to give it to one of those girls you’ve been chatting up?” He wanted to offer the plush back, but his traitorous body just pulled it closer. If Gladio did try to take it back, he wasn’t sure he could convince his arm to let it go.

“I spent money on that thing. Why would I give it to someone that I don’t even know?”

And they said romance was dead. Gladio couldn’t even be bothered to spend money on potential dates. No wonder he flirted with so many women in a single night. It was probably difficult for him to find someone willing to go out with his cheap ass.

“What about Iris? I know how badly she wanted to come out tonight. She might appreciate a souvenir.” He could part with it if it were going to Iris. At least then he would know it was going to a good home where it would be loved and appreciated.

“Iris has enough plush,” he said dismissively. “She’s more into moogles anyway. Besides, I want you to have it.”

“Why me?” he asked, berating himself for complaining. It was a free plush, more perfect than anything else in the world, and he wanted it, and now he kept trying to give it back to Gladio. Why couldn’t he just accept it?

“Maybe because I know you like chocobos. And its the only one like it around. Maybe because I saw you eying it up earlier and didn’t take you for the type to question a gift.”

“Thank you,” he said, tightening his death grip on the plush. It was a thoughtful gift, if Gladio had gotten it specifically for him. He still had his suspicions that Gladio had actually won it trying to impress a girl, and just needed somewhere to get rid of it after he had been rejected. But that chocobo was still perfect, and it wasn’t the plush’s fault that Gladio didn’t necessarily have the best intentions. “If you see Noct, can you tell him that I went home?”

“If you leave now, you’ll miss the fireworks,” Gladio told him, and for the first time, Gladio actually seemed concerned that he might leave. Not that Gladio had been paying much attention to him before; he barely waited half an hour before leaving him and Noct for the prospect of a date that he had failed to get.

“I’ve seen fireworks before,” he said, rising to his feet and pulling the plush close to his chest like a shield. “Besides, I don’t think I’ll find a good place to watch them from with all these people around.” No matter where they went, if they wanted a good view of the fireworks they would be hemmed in by a lot of people.

“Come on,” Gladio said, rising to his feet and giving him a light slap on the back. “I know the answer to that problem.”

He could go home. He could try again to find Noct, even if it meant scouring every last inch of the festival. Or he could humor Gladio and see exactly what he was up to. He stuffed the last of the cotton candy in his mouth and threw the stick away before following Gladio through the crowd. He stayed slightly behind him, allowing Gladio to clear the way for him instead of being forced to squeeze in between people like he had before. People just seemed to step out of Gladio’s way when they saw him coming, and a few of them gave Prompto an odd look for following around behind him. Maybe they thought he was stalking him or something. Gladio lead him to the edge of the festival grounds, to the outside of a squat apartment building. Gladio jumped up to pull down the ladder of the fire escape.

“After you,” Gladio said, indicating the ladder. It was a long way up that building, but he tucked the plush into the front of his jacket and started up the ladder. Gladio didn’t wait long before following him up, and he supposed he should be grateful that Gladio could probably catch him if he would fall. Hopefully. He didn’t really plan on falling though. It took him a while, but eventually he reached the top of the fire escape and onto the roof of the apartment building.

“Are you sure we’re allowed up here?” he asked, looking around for any no trespassing signs or something similar. No one else was around, and if this was really the best place to see the fireworks, more people should be up here.

“Relax,” Gladio said, grabbing him by the arm and guiding him over to the edge of the building. “The woman who told me about this place lives in the building, and she’ll vouch for us.”

“So, why aren’t you up here with her?” he asked, pulling his arm free from Gladio’s grasp. A nice secluded spot with a good view of the fireworks would be a great place for Gladio to make his move on a girl he was interested in. 

“She has a fiancee,” Gladio told him, placing his hands on the railing in front of him. Prompto supposed that was the only thing that would keep Gladio from making a move on someone else. “Besides, I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to be alone anymore.” 

Which hadn’t stopped him from leaving him and Noct in the first place, but he decided not to push it. He was supposed to be with Noc.t and it wasn’t Gladio’s fault that he hadn’t paid attention to where Noct was going. Now that they were on the roof and away from the crowd of people, the night was starting to get a little chilly and he rubbed his hands up and down his bare arms.

“It’s getting a little cold,” he said, thinking maybe Gladio would let him go down to the ground where it was warmer. Like he said, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen fireworks before.

“Maybe you should wear a shirt with sleeves once in a while.”

“At least I wear a shirt once in a while.” 

He looked out at the city skyline, wrapping his arms tighter around himself and trying to ignore the cold wind biting at his skin. The fireworks would be starting soon, and it would most likely be a short show. Once it was over, he could go back to the ground, distract Gladio with one of the women at the festival, and then sneak his way home where he could curl up around his new plush and go to sleep. Something heavy draped over his shoulders, and he stiffened under Gladio’s arm. Once the jacket was in place though, Gladio dropped his arm back down at his side.

“You’re shirt doesn’t have any sleeves either,” he pointed out, glancing at Gladio out of the corner of his eyes. He wouldn’t look at him directly, or else he might betray himself with the heat rising to his cheeks. Gladio’s jacket smelled like a heavy mixture of Gladio and the outdoors.

“I’m not the one who’s cold,” Gladio said, and before Prompto could come up with an appropriate response, the first firework lit up the sky in a brilliant flash of red. At least it gave him something to look at other than Gladio, and it gave him some time to think about what he was supposed to say next. Things had been happening so fast, he didn’t have time to process them. Gladio seemed intent on watching the fireworks anyway, not looking at him or asking him for his jacket back. Since Gladio had rejoined him, he had given him that chocobo plush he had been eying up that he was still holding tight to his chest. Had asked him to a secluded spot to watch the fireworks with him, and he had to admit, it was the best fireworks display he had ever seen. The craftsmen had been especially detailed for this festival, perhaps because of Noct’s upcoming wedding. Gladio had given him his jacket to wear because he was cold, and he pulled it tighter around him to ward off the chill. And to top it all off, Gladio was still standing close enough to him that he could feel the warmth of his body. Gladio didn’t really need the jacket after all.

It was all so confusing, but even as he tried to sort it all out in his head, he found himself drifting closer to Gladio’s warmth. Only because he was still a little cold, nothing more. Besides, it was nice to just stand there and watch the fireworks for a little bit. Not that he could be talking to Gladio since they wouldn’t be able to hear each other over the noise from the fireworks.

“Prompto, there’s something I need to get off my chest,” Gladio started after the fireworks had finished, rubbing the back of his neck. He swallowed hard, turning towards Gladio and staring up at him. This couldn’t possibly be good. Maybe he had been extra nice to him because he wanted to tell him that he didn’t think he was ready to join them on escort duty. He knew nothing good could have come from this evening after he had been separated from Noct. “It’s just that-”

“There you two are,” Noct said from where he was vaulting off the fire escape and onto the roof. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” How did he possibly find them? Unless he had gotten the same tip that Gladio had.

“Not a good time, Noct,” Gladio said low in his throat, but Noct either didn’t hear the warning or didn’t care, because he kept walking towards them.

“Ignis wants to go over the itinerary for the road trip with all four of us.”

“That’s still months away,” Gladio pointed out, and Prompto was inclined to agree with him. He kind of wanted to hear what it was Gladio had wanted to tell him. 

“Yeah, but you know how Ignis is. He wants to make sure we’re prepared for anything.”

“Is he going to get the car serviced?” Prompto asked.

“You’ll have to ask him,” Noct said as he started to walk back towards the fire escape. “But if the two of you don’t come back with me, he’ll try to kill me with vegetables.”

Prompto eased his way out of Gladio’s jacket and handed it back to him with a small shrug. If Noct needed them to come with him, he couldn’t subject him to the tortures of vegetables. He followed Noct to the fire escape, glancing back over his shoulder to see if Gladio was going to follow them. Gladio sighed before conceding defeat and trailing after them.


End file.
